When Nickeil Alexander-Walker slotted into the starting lineup after Trae Young’s MCL sprain, expectations were not that high – certainly not on offense. Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels create a formidable front line of defense, but the loss of Young’s offensive impact was expected to outweigh any defensive gains.
Through eight games without Young, however, the new starting five has been one of the better lineups in the league. Of the thirty five-man lineup combinations that have played over 100 minutes together, the Hawks’ starters rank seventh in net rating, only below rosters from the Thunder, Timberwolves, Warriors, Magic, Suns, and Jazz.
While 7th out of 30 isn’t remarkable in a vacuum, this isn’t the Hawks’ true starting lineup – it’s their starters without their best player. Young’s return from injury should only improve this figure as the Hawks look to move past their shaky start to the season.
Lockdown defense and transition offense have powered the shorthanded Hawks
The Hawks have had one of the most stout halfcourt defenses with this unit on the floor, boasting a top-four halfcourt points allowed per play. This has come through an all-around defensive effort, with the Hawks limiting paint opportunities and defending all shots inside the arc well. The lineup has benefitted from minor three point shooting luck, but their halfcourt defense is legit.
Where their defense could fall apart, however, is in transition. As you might expect, this unit is the worst of the thirty lineups in transition defense. Even worse, this isn’t a downstream effect of turnovers, as opponents have been generating the bulk of their fastbreak opportunities off of rebounds. During their active three-game win streak, however, Atlanta as a team significantly improved on its horrid transition defense. Hopefully, this trend can continue, and we can put the Hawks’ fastbreak struggles behind us.
On the other hand, the Hawks have excelled in transition offense themselves, particularly off rebounds. This should be no surprise, as this lineup is full of youth and energy. The one exception is Porzingis, but his gravity as a deep threat trailing the play helps generate mismatches for himself and his teammates.
Ridiculous narratives insinuating Atlanta is better off without their star have emerged as the Hawks have posted a 6-2 record without Young. This isn’t the takeaway you should have. Instead, you should enjoy the fact that, for the first time in his career, the Hawks have a solid lineup to play when Trae is sidelined.